


Heartstrings

by corruptedkid



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Mentions of Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas - Freeform, Oneshot, violinist!Rose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 08:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6510481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corruptedkid/pseuds/corruptedkid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karkat gets Kanaya a ticket to go see Rose Lalonde, a rising star in the world of the violin. While waiting for the concert to begin, Kanaya meets a mysterious blonde girl who instantly sweeps her off her feet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heartstrings

\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling grimAuxiliatrix [GA] \--

CG: HEY.

CG: SO, UH.

CG: YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST ENCOURAGED ME TO ASK OUT DAVE, AND THEN DROPPED A BUNCH OF NOT-SO-SUBTLE HINTS THAT I WAS IN YOUR DEBT FROM THEN ON?

CG: CONSIDER THAT DEBT FUCKING PAID.

GA: Whatever Do You Mean

CG: CHECK YOUR EMAIL. BAM, MOTHERFUCKER. I GOT YOU A TICKET TO SEE THAT VIOLIN GIRL.

GA: Which Violin Girl

GA: I Believe There Are Many Violinists Of The Female Gender Whose Music I Enjoy

CG: ROSE LALONDE.

GA: Um

GA: Who?

CG: OH MY GOD.

CG: YOU MEAN TO SAY THAT YOU, CLASSICAL MUSIC AFICIONADO, DON’T EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF THE HOTTEST NEW BITCH ON THE BACH BLOCK?

CG: EVEN *I* KNOW WHO ROSE LALONDE IS, GET WITH THE PROGRAM.

CG: ANYWAY. SHE’S HAVING A RECITAL AT THE SKAIA THEATER, TONIGHT, AT EIGHT, WHICH YOU ARE GOING TO. YOU’RE FUCKING WELCOME.

GA: Okay First Of All You Are Overestimating My Authority On Matters Of Classical Music

GA: I Do Enjoy The Occasional Concert But I Am No Expert

CG: I’M STILL WAITING FOR THAT THANK YOU.

GA: Thank You Very Much For The Ticket Karkat

CG: YEAH. YOU KNOW, I MIGHT EVEN GO SO FAR AS TO SAY YOU OWE *ME* NOW. I DIDN’T HAVE TO BE SO NICE. MAYBE I DESERVE REPAYMENT SOMEDAY. MAYBE IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL IF YOU GOT ME AND DAVE A DVD COPY OF DEADPOOL.

GA: We’ll Have To See About That

GA: Perhaps If The Concert Is Good Enough I Will Consider It

\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling grimAuxiliatrix [GA] \--

Kanaya set down her cell phone. She had to admit, it warmed her heart to see Karkat, usually so guarded and cranky, giving her such a thoughtful gift. Though she supposed she did deserve it. She had set him up with his boyfriend, after all, and their steady relationship of one year would never have gotten off the ground if it hadn’t been for her coaxing.

She was surprised he had discovered a new musician before she had. Even her rather limited experience in the classical world was more than Karkat’s nonexistent one. He must have heard of her from a friend. That was how he got most of his information, considering he rarely left his house.

Kanaya was sorely tempted to google this “Rose Lalonde” and peruse the available music, but it was her strict policy to never look up someone she was going to see for the first time beforehand. That way, seeing their unprecedented skill live would be all the more exciting. 

Sometimes it was the other way around, and she was disappointed by the artist, but she doubted that would happen tonight. Karkat was very picky when it came to music, especially with classical. He could barely stand to listen to it. Too many times had Kanaya heard his arguments that “if the composer wants to convey emotion, then they should just use their fucking words instead of acting like an asshole music mime.” 

If he liked this Rose, she must be very good. 

Kanaya glanced at her clock. The slowly ticking hands told her that she had two hours before the concert would be due to begin. That should be plenty of time for her to prepare. She pushed herself away from the couch she had been sitting on and strode over to her walk-in closet. 

Now, which outfit really screamed “I Am A First Time Listener To This Musician But I Swear I Am A Cultured Human Being And Not Just A Poser Who Shows Up To The Concerts Of Whichever Composer Is Popular?”

This was a very important decision which would likely take up the greater part of her available two hours.

Kanaya ended up settling on her favorite red-patterned dress. A black band with a white buckle encircled the waist, accentuating her curves and adding a bit of flair to the otherwise simple ensemble. With a fresh coat of her trademark black lipstick and a slash of eyeliner that “could cut a bitch”, as Karkat would put it, she looked simply dashing. 

Bring it on, concert-goers. No one would fuck with a lady this well dressed.

Kanaya grabbed her emerald purse on her way out the door, stuffing the ticket she had printed out inside. Upon closer investigation, the paper slip boasted of the show entitled “Dark Whispers and Nighttime Imaginings: A Musical Compendium By Rose Lalonde.”

Kanaya’s curiosity was nothing if not piqued.

She had been to the Skaia Theater (or “Theatre,” depending on your lexical inclinations), a few times before. The place was over one hundred years old, and covered in antique decor, which Kanaya found to be blissfully fashionable. It was a real treat to be able to walk through those ornate doors once more.

When she arrived inside, she was surprised to find that she had come early. She still had half an hour to spare before the concert began. Her routine of making herself presentable must have taken her much less time than was typical.

She figured she might as well find her seat and wait. She could tell Karkat where she was and express her gratitude in greater detail as she did so. She presented her ticket to the usher, then made her way through the near-empty concert hall to her (second-row!) seat. 

There was a blonde girl sitting in the seat directly next to hers. She was humming softly, a pretty melody Kanaya did not recognize. Kanaya gave her a polite smile as she sat down. The girl smiled back, and Kanaya noticed with approval that she was wearing a shade of lipstick even darker than Kanaya’s. It was coupled with a very fetching lavender eyeshadow and dress. 

Kanaya’s opinion of the girl was also helped by the fact that she was very, very attractive.

“I like your outfit,” she ventured. Coming from her, this was high praise, but the girl wouldn’t know that. “Are you here to see Ms. Lalonde perform?”

The girl stopped humming and raised an amused eyebrow. “No. I am sitting here for a completely unrelated reason. What, did you expect me to be here in a concert hall to see a _concert?_ ”

The sarcasm, it was biting. Kanaya wanted to kick herself. This girl was fashionable, gorgeous, and witty to boot. She had to regain the upper hand before she made a fool of herself.

“Oh, of course you aren’t. I must not know you at all,” she quipped. “I assume you’re here to watch the spectacle of her audience members attempting small talk, then?”

The girl’s smile grew. Kanaya, one, Opponent, zero. 

“Oh, certainly. Listening to beautiful girls stumble through the nuances of social interaction while concealing their raging attraction towards me is my favorite passtime. You should give it a try.”

Damn it. Opponent, one, Kanaya, one. She felt her cheeks flush slightly. She really had to learn how to make her crushes less obvious.

“I believe that may be what I am doing now,” she managed. “Wouldn’t you say the same?” 

The girl’s smile vanished abruptly. Was that shock flickering through her eyes? For a moment, Kanaya feared she had overstepped her boundaries.

But then, the girl laughed. Kanaya smiled shyly as she listened to the melodic sound. After a few moments, it died out, and the girl smiled warmly.

“I do believe you’re the first of my sparring partners who’s ever been able to keep up with me. What’s your name?”

“Kanaya Maryam. And yours?” Kanaya stuck out her hand for the girl to shake. She took it, and her skin was soft and warm against Kanaya’s. Kanaya was already finding herself mentally chanting that ancient prayer; _please be gay, please be gay..._

“Did you know I’ve never been in a concert hall this big before?” she asked. Kanaya furrowed her brow slightly at the subject change, but went along with it. This had progressed beyond small talk to legitimate conversation, and it was a development she definitely wanted to continue. 

“I’ve only ever been in several smaller ones,” the girl continued. She took her eyes away from Kanaya’s face to take a long look around the hall. “This is certainly the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen. But so many seats… You know this show is sold out?”

Kanaya shook her head. “My friend got me the ticket. He thought I would enjoy it.”

The girl’s smile returned briefly. “You do seem to be having a good time, and it hasn’t even started yet. You must have a good friend.” But the smile faded as quickly as it had come as she glanced up at the stage. “Truth be told, I don’t know how comfortable I’ll be when this place fills up. I… have a bit of trouble with crowds.”

Kanaya had the sudden urge to grab her hand, but pushed it down. “You will be sitting next to me. We can keep talking, if that would help you at all. Would you like that?”

The girl sighed. “I’d love that, but I’m afraid it isn’t possible.”

Kanaya tilted her head. “What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll find out soon,” was the only response she received. That, and the girl standing up and walking away. Kanaya sat for a moment and let her sudden departure register. Then she hurried to stand up and follow.

“Wait! Where are you going? You’ll miss the concert!”

The girl turned back to her. “I assure you I won’t.” She was twisting the hem of her dress as she looked towards the door, where people were beginning to file in. 

“You do not need to leave,” Kanaya insisted. “I offer you my help, if you will accept it. I will do anything in my power to make you feel safe.” She carefully reached out her hand, making it clear that the girl was free to reject her. She didn’t know why she was so determined to stay in her presence. Maybe it was the intoxicating depth of her violet eyes, or the speed at which she could construct a sarcastic reply, or the simple pleasure she seemed to take from Kanaya’s company.

They had known each other barely half an hour, but Kanaya felt like she could be good friends with this girl. Maybe even more.

The girl was looking shocked again. Her lips, painted black as pitch, were parted slightly, and her eyes were wide. She stepped forward slowly, and took Kanaya’s hand in hers.

“Are you really so committed to my well-being?”

Kanaya blushed. “I cannot deny that I find you intriguing, and I wish to get to know you better. I doubt it would help our relationship if I allowed you to go off alone in a place you were clearly nervous.”

“But it wouldn’t hurt at all, either.” The girl’s features were arranged into an expression of curiosity. “You’re very kind, Kanaya. I think I would enjoy getting to know you better as well.”

Kanaya would be lying if she said those words didn’t send a thrill through her heart. “So… you’ll stay?” she said hopefully. 

The girl shook her head. But she did not look sad. To the contrary, a smirk of devilish proportion had broken out across her face. “No, Kanaya. Don’t look so upset, I told you before, you’ll understand very soon. Go be a dear and find your seat.”

She backed into the rapidly-growing crowd, and, in an instant, she was gone. Kanaya craned her neck above the sea of concert patrons, but her efforts were in vain. The girl had simply vanished. Kanaya turned, disappointed, and headed back to her seat. It felt wrong when a middle-aged woman took the seat the mysterious blonde had previously occupied.

Not long after, the house lights began to dim, and Kanaya settled into her plush seat. A bit of music would surely take her mind off of her romantic plight. 

An usher gave a brief speech on the beauty of music and how all guests should silence their cell phones, and then the lights went out. 

Kanaya heard a bit of rustling onstage, but she couldn’t see a thing. There was a moment of silence.

Then, the first long, sorrowful note.

Kanaya recognized the melody quickly; it was Ave Maria. So far, this Lalonde girl had met her expectations. Her playing was expertly paced and perfectly emotional. The lights gradually brightened and focused on the player.

Kanaya’s jaw dropped.

_It was the girl._ She was Rose Lalonde! 

So she was pretty, snarky, fashionable, _and_ musically gifted? Sometimes the world just wasn’t fair.

Rose’s eyes were shut tight as she swayed into the movement of her bow. She played as if the violin were an extension of her body, and every haunting note was like the singing of her very soul. It took Kanaya’s breath away as she listened.

The woman next to Kanaya seemed to be crying a little. This would have been awkward if Kanaya wasn’t close to doing the same. The refrain was a lament, and never had a violin sounded more tragic to Kanaya’s ears than it did when Rose was playing. It was _amazing._

And it was over much too soon.

Rose stepped up to a microphone and pulled it from its stand.

“Hello,” she said quietly. Her voice echoed through the hall. “My name is Rose Lalonde. Welcome to my little show, thank you for coming. I’m sure you all know that I just played Ave Maria, but I’ll go ahead and tell you the name of the next piece. It is Locatelli’s Caprice in D Major, opus three, number twenty-three, ‘labyrinth.’ I hope you enjoy.”

Kanaya didn’t recognize the name of the piece, but the woman seated beside her had gasped upon the words. She was now leaning forward and listening eagerly.

Kanaya understood why when Rose began to play.

It started simply enough, with a rather fast-paced arrangement of chords and notes. But in time the piece evolved into something more complex, with Rose jerking back on sudden notes and winding into complicated strings of sound. Her fingers danced erratically across the strings, and Kanaya swore she could hear two violins playing rather than one. Rose was a master. She belonged playing in front of thousands. 

Kanaya began to realize just how lucky she was. She lost herself in the swirl of sound, barely remembering when or where she was as she hung on every note. Nothing mattered but the music. Rose was a goddess, and it was her creation, and Kanaya was but a humble spirit in awe of her power.

She sighed deeply as the song ended. 

Rose picked up the microphone once more. “I’m sure you’re all wondering how this has anything to do with dark whispers or nighttime imaginings, as the title of my program offered you. We’ll get to that. Later on, you will find that all those dark melodies are of my own invention. Now, I am simply offering you the proof that they are worth listening to. This is Paganini’s Caprice number four in C Minor.”

The piece she began to play was every bit as complex as the former, and Kanaya could barely believe that the girl onstage was so flawlessly executing the musical maneuvers that she was. Rose’s bow lept back and forth as her fingers pinched and alternated strings, each movement she made taking a crucial role in her dance.

Kanaya didn’t want it to ever end. The only thing that kept her from falling into despair when the song drew to a close was the knowledge that next, she would hear songs Rose had _actually written._

“Now that I have you all suitably impressed, it’s time for the more sinister aspect of tonight’s performance.” Rose smiled, her eyes half-lidded and mysterious. “This next song is an original of mine. It’s called ‘The Furthest Ring.’”

The stage lights darkened, leaving Rose once again concealed by shadow. Then, they snapped back, this time in shades of pink and purple. Rose lifted her instrument and stepped onto something Kanaya couldn’t quite discern.

Her violin was different, too, Kanaya noticed, she must have switched while the lights were out. This one was purple, partly hollow, and electric. It was plugged into an amplifier at Rose’s feet.

Rose plucked at the strings in a rhythm, changing the note in a recognizable pattern. Then she held out a piercing note, but the plucking continued in the background. Kanaya looked closer at what Rose was stepping on. It was an effects pedal.

Rose crafted a melody of many parts, of rhythm and ominous backing tones and a refrain that evoked emotions Kanaya could not describe. It was dark music, and it sent shudders through her bones, but Kanaya enjoyed it even more than the masterful covers Rose had performed. Because it was hers. It was terrifying and beautiful and so very, very Rose.

The effects gradually faded away until Rose’s haunting refrain was the only line left. She slid her bow to the side, and with a shriek from her violin, the song was over.

“I’ve got two more for you tonight,” Rose said softly. “After that, your dark imaginings will have to be your own. This is called ‘Outer Gods.’”

She used the effects pedal again, but this song made use of the layering technique very differently. It was filled with harmonies and complements to the melody, like a Gregorian chant, but played on strings, and in worship of an ancient and eldritch god. The sound floated through the air and rose to the ceiling, then cascaded down and around, filling all the empty spaces in the room. Kanaya could feel the sound reverberate deep in her chest. If she reached out, she might have been able to brush against the smooth tones with her fingertips.

The notes fell into a downward scale, and the song wound down into its final measures. Rose held out the last note for several moments, and its ghost lingered in the air before she reached again for her microphone. She brought it up with her to the very front of the stage.

“If everyone could please be quiet.”

Kanaya went still.

“No, quieter,” Rose said softly. “Don’t whisper. Don’t sigh. Don’t shift or blink. Be completely silent.”

The quiet that fell over the hall was deeper than Kanaya had ever heard or felt. It was beyond enough to hear a pin drop. The hall’s acoustics did wonders to sound, but in the absence of it? The silence became penetrating. 

Fifty feet to her left, Kanaya could hear a stranger’s lips part. She could hear someone adjust their position in their seat, somewhere out there in the darkness. The small noises she hadn’t even realized were there were suddenly pronounced, and she wondered how she hadn’t noticed them before. 

Then they all stopped. Kanaya hardly dared to breathe.

“That’s better.” Rose smiled. “Isn’t it more intimate this way?”

It was. If Kanaya closed her eyes, she could imagine that she and Rose were the only two in the room.

“I was going to play another of my originals, entitled ‘Paradox Space,’ but I’ve changed my mind.” Rose hesitated. “There’s another piece I’ve been working on, but I’ve never played it for anyone. I didn’t think it was ready. With all my other songs, I’ve felt a very specific emotional connection to each one. It makes the music stronger. But with this, I’ve never been able to tell what I feel when I play it. I couldn’t even title it.”

“I have a bit of an issue with stage fright,” she admitted. “This is the biggest crowd I’ve ever played for, and I was very nervous prior to the show. But I met someone who helped me.” Rose’s eyes scanned the crowd, until finally...

She locked eyes with Kanaya. And she smiled.

“She gave me strength. And… I think she helped me find what this song means to me. It’s not as dark as the others, I apologize. I do hate to end a concert on a happy note. But this time I’ll make an exception.” Rose retreated back slightly and lifted her violin.

“This one’s called ‘Stranger, Stay.”

Rose closed her eyes, but it was a soft look, unlike the deep concentration required for her first few pieces. Her fingers brought into being no dark chronicle, but a song that sounded pretty and just a bit lonely.

It was the same tune Kanaya had heard Rose hum when she first sat down and introduced herself.

As she lightly plucked at her strings and wove her tapestry of song, one of Rose’s eyes opened slightly and found Kanaya. Her lips curved upward.

Kanaya was enraptured.

She probably should have been paying most of her attention to the song, since Rose had dedicated it to her, but Kanaya found it hard to concentrate on the music for the rest of the concert. How could she, when Rose’s eyes were such a beautiful shade of lavender, her chin rested so gracefully on her instrument, and the strokes of her arm and bow were more elegant than anything Kanaya had ever seen? Her blonde hair, so wispy and impeccably cut, and her smooth, oval-shaped face, the frame of her shoulders and the curves of her legs beneath her thigh-length dress. Her fingers, long and thin, and her lips, full and black. Every part of her was perfect. 

Rose Lalonde was a masterpiece.

Kanaya was jolted from her reverie as the song faded away into silence. As always, it was over too soon, and she knew that this time, it was over for good. She lept to her feet and joined in the thunderous applause that rumbled through the building. Onstage, Rose smiled gently and took a small bow. She nestled her violin under her arm, stepped back, and disappeared behind the curtain. 

“Rose Lalonde’s compositions are available to purchase on iTunes,” a disembodied male voice announced. “Her album, Grimdark, is currently on sale for 6.99. Get it while you can. If you want. There is also information about upcoming concerts in the front. Please ask an attendant if you would like to learn more.”

Kanaya thought the voice sounded a bit familiar.

The crowd was beginning to disperse, and a loud chatter of praise for Rose now surrounded Kanaya. She got up to join the exodus, but then… she reconsidered.

Kanaya sat back down. Gradually, the hall grew emptier and emptier, until she was sitting alone. It was quiet, but somehow, even in the absence of people, it was not as quiet as it had been when Rose had commanded her audience.

“I thought you might be here. Have you been waiting for me?”

Kanaya looked up. Rose was sitting on the edge of the stage, smiling down at her. 

Kanaya raised her eyebrows. “No. I am sitting here for a completely unrelated reason. What, did you expect me to be here, after everyone else has left, waiting to see _you_?”

Rose let a breath of laughter escape her lips. “Oh, of course not. I must not know you at all.” She slipped off the stage and sat down on the armrest of Kanaya’s seat. Kanaya was suddenly very aware of her own heartbeat as her arm brushed against Rose’s thigh.

“Look. I need to put this out there, just to be sure. I’m sorry if that whole song dedication business made you uncomfortable, I know it must have been a lot. I thought it was a good idea at the time…” Rose searched Kanaya’s face. “You left an acute impression on me. I hope I was not, how shall I put this… Overestimating your feelings towards me.”

Kanaya shook her head vigorously. “No, no! I did and do care about your well-being, and, um, that dedication was probably the sweetest gesture I have ever been on the receiving end of.” Her cheeks must have been bright pink by this point, but she didn’t care. “I appreciate it very much.”

“Just as I appreciate you. You made me more confident about stepping onto that stage. I just imagined I was playing only for you, and I felt better. You didn’t even know me, yet you wanted me to stay, and you cared... ” Kanaya was shocked to see Rose’s cheeks tinging a similar shade of pink to her own. “Sorry, was that too much? I may be in debt to your kindness and quite infatuated with you, but perhaps dishing out my emotions to someone I’ve known no more than an hour isn’t the wisest idea on my part.” 

“Perhaps we should meet up again, so the amount of dished emotions and time spent together is in balance,” Kanaya suggested. 

“You’re rather smooth, for someone so obviously flustered,” Rose noted. “Yes, I think that is a good plan. Are you free tomorrow?”

“In the morning, yes. Coffee? There’s a nice cafe down the street from my house.”

“Lovely. Let me see your cell phone.” Rose held out her hand. Kanaya gave her the phone, and Rose began typing into it.

“Here’s my number. Call me if you need me.” She smirked. “By which I mean, I expect to hear from you the moment we are separated.”

Suddenly, a boy appeared behind Rose and clapped her on the back. “Ayyy, I know you’re busy gettin’ your lesbians on, but you need to get out to the bus and... “ He flipped his sunglasses down and stared at Kanaya.

“Kanaya?”

Kanaya suddenly realized where she had known the voice on the loudspeaker from.

“Dave?”

Rose looked between the two of them, confused. “You two know each other?”

“This girl set up me and Karkat,” Dave grinned. “He talks about her sometimes.”

“And Karkat was the one to buy me the ticket to come here. I suppose you are how he found out about Rose?” Kanaya asked. “I did wonder. He isn’t usually into violin.” 

“Yeah, me and Rosie here are cousins. I’m her advertising guy. I told Karkat to give tickets to anybody who would accept them.” Dave pushed his sunglasses back up. 

Kanaya frowned. “Oh, and here I was thinking he had my best interests at heart.”

“Clearly he does.” Dave wiggled his eyebrows at Rose. “I think he gave you a better gift than just concert tickets, am I right, ladies?”

Rose smacked him on the arm. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t scare off my potential date, David.”

“Whatever. Hey, I’ll leave you guys to do your thing, but Jack wants Rose back on the tour bus a-s-a-p.” Dave saluted them both before walking away.

“Jack?”

“My manager.” Rose shrugged. “I don’t have to listen, I’d rather stay here and talk with you some more.”

“So, you want to stay this time?” said Kanaya. “How our relationship has developed.”

“Oh, Kanaya.” Rose took her hand and squeezed it gently. “I wanted to stay from the moment I saw you.”

Kanaya blushed, and Rose laughed. “Am I flustering you again?”

“Yes,” Kanaya mumbled. “You should go and see your manager before I say something incredibly embarrassing.”

“What embarrassing things would you have to say?” Rose said, just a bit mischievously.

“Probably a lot of remarks on the picturesque and tempting beauty of your face,” Kanaya replied without thinking. Then she let out a choked sound and clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh my lord. I did not mean to say that.”

Rose was laughing again. “What do you mean by ‘tempting’?” Or, wait. I think I can figure that much out.” She leaned down until her face was nearly touching Kanaya’s. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper. Kanaya held stock still.

“Tempting like this?”

Rose brushed her lips against the corner of Kanaya’s mouth. 

Then she sat back and watched Kanaya’s expression move from shocked to longing to overwhelmed. It was a solid ten seconds before the girl remembered to breathe.

Kanaya gasped for air. “Yes, um, I would say it’s some way like that, yes.” 

Her stammering was interrupted by Dave, who called out from the entrance to the hall.

“That was super gay! Hey, Rose, you’d better get over here before Jack beats your ass!”

Rose sighed, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. “I’m sorry. I believe this is where we must part ways.” She released Kanaya’s hand and stood. 

“It is no matter. We will see each other again tomorrow, and we can pick up exactly where we left off,” Kanaya said, trying in vain to conceal her enthusiasm towards the idea. 

“Yes. It will be as if we were never parted.” Rose leaned forward and tucked a lock of Kanaya’s hair back behind her ear. Kanaya caught her hand before she could pull it away.

She held on for one infinite moment, then let Rose’s fingers slip from her grasp. The blonde smiled and turned away, following her cousin in the direction of the door. 

Rose looked over her shoulder once more on her way out. Kanaya got a fleeting glimpse of her violet eyes before she closed one in a sly wink, smiled, and left.

Kanaya pulled out her phone and went to her contacts. Sure enough, Rose’s number was newly entered.

\-- grimAuxiliatrix [GA] began trolling tentacleTherapist [TT] \--

GA: You Said You Expected To Hear From Me Immediately Following Our Separation

GA: I Am Not One To Disappoint So Here We Are

TT: You realize that I was only being sarcastic with that statement, right?

GA: Yes

GA: I Just Wanted To Talk To You Again Is All

TT: You must be quite smitten to be so dedicated to interact with me.

GA: But You Are Equally Smitten, So Are You Not Equally Dedicated?

TT: … 

TT: You’re rather astute, aren’t you.

TT: Hold on. I need to speak with my manager. He looks very close to blowing a gasket.

TT: … 

TT: Urgh. He has demanded I unglue my eyes from my phone screen, to politely paraphrase his wording. Is it all right if I text you later this evening?

GA: Yes Of Course

GA: I Will Stay Right Here

TT: Is that going to be a thing now?

TT: The word “stay,” as a callback to my impulsive performance and veritable declaration of romantic desire?

GA: Yes Definitely

GA: We Can Drop The “Stranger” Bit From The Title Though

GA: Judging By Your Open Flirtation And My Lack Of A Verbal Filter I Will Probably Know You Very Intimately Very Soon

TT: That could be interpreted as very suggestive.

GA: Um

TT: You’re blushing again.

GA: You Don’t Know That For Sure

GA: You Cannot See Me

TT: I don’t need to.

GA: Well

GA: Fuck

TT: All suggestive comments aside, I really do have to be going now. I’ll see you tomorrow morning?

GA: Yes I Will Text You The Details Later

TT: Perfect. 

: TT: Take care, Kanaya.

GA: The Same To You

TT: And may your countenance be as brilliant in the light of dawn as it is on this night of genesis.

GA: Wait What

TT: Sorry. I get a little too verbose sometimes. What I said was, I hope you look as beautiful tomorrow as you do right now.

TT: Oh, look. There’s the blush again. I wish I could stay and see more of it.

TT: I’ll text you as soon as I can. Stay here for me.

GA: I Will Stay

TT: Good.

\-- grimAuxiliatrix [GA] ceased trolling tentacleTherapist [TT] \--

Kanaya shoved her phone down into her bag, fighting back a dazed smile. She had a date! She had an enormous crush that was actually reciprocated! Today really had been an incredible day. 

As an afterthought, she fished her phone back out of her purse.

She owed Karkat a very big thank-you. She would buy him his superhero movie and anything else he could ask for. Anything to repay him for the chance to meet Rose.

And with that, Kanaya was lost in thought again. She dreamed of blonde hair and banter, coffee to be had, and dates to be planned, violet eyes and violin strings. 

Kanaya dreamed of Rose Lalonde, and somewhere, Rose was dreaming of her.

**Author's Note:**

> Rose's violin- 
> 
> http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=12056937
> 
> If that isn't perfect for her, I don't know what is.


End file.
